manufacturing and materials
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in manufacturing, research and development, mining and materials around the world.
USA: Auto-workers on nationwide strike at General Motors
Thousands of United Auto Workers walked off the job at General Motors Corp. plants around the country Monday in the first nationwide strike against GM since 1970.
UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said the union launched the strike after "one-sided negotiations" failed to reach an agreement.
"It was going to be General Motors' way at the expense of the workers," Gettelfinger said. "The company walked right up to the deadline like they really didn't care."
Garment workers struggles escalate again in Bangladesh
Tejgaon, Dhaka; yesterday morning (Saturday) new clashes broke out in the city's industrial zone. Up to 25,000 garment workers came out on wildcat strike and fought both police and management-hired thugs. Over 50 people, including cops, were injured - some seriously.
The trouble began on Saturday morning at the Nasa Group factory. Supposedly one of the more 'responsible' employers - Nasa supply Primark in the UK and Wal-Mart in the USA amongst others - Nasa workers had been on strike for 2 days demanding payent of wage arrears, bonuses and extra holiday allowances.
The Workers' Committee: An Outline of its Principles and Structure
Pamphlet written by J.T.Murphy and published by the Sheffield Workers' Committee in 1917. It describes the structure of the workers' committees that developed during the first world war and proposes coordinating them into local and national committees in parallel with the trade unions.
“Where the men and women think lightly of the laws; . . . . where the populace rise at once against the never-ending audacity of elected persons; . . . . where outside authority enters after the precedence of inside authority; where the citizen is always the head and ideal; where children are taught to be laws to themselves; . . . there the great city stands.” - Walt Whitman.
Jute workers attack union leaders in Bangladesh amid wider unrest
RM examines a new wave of workers' struggle in Bangladesh.
Jute unrest
Bangladesh: 100 hurt as garment workers clash with police
Production in most parts of the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) in Savar remained suspended throughout the day yesterday as clashes between workers and police left at least 100 people injured.
The fighting broke out as police charged baton on the garment workers fuming over unconfirmed reports that one of them was killed Thursday over the theft of a cellphone set.
The struggle against Shell in the west of Ireland
This report was written for the International of Anarchist Federations in March 2007. A Spanish language version is here.
There are, at a very conservative estimate, currently thirty local campaigns against unwanted hazardous developments in Ireland.
Rossport: a closer look.
This article on the Shell to Sea campaign and on Rossport Solidarity Camp, was written in May 2006, for a publication which unfortunately did not see the light of day. It is a look at the campaign against the state and Shell’s “development” of a corner of the west of Ireland, situating it in an international context of environmental justice struggles.
This campaign against the plan to build an unprecedented high-pressure raw gas pipeline and refinery in Northwest Mayo is in its sixth year, but last spring took a turn towards popular protest and direct action and has shut down construction work.
1912: The Lena Massacre
A short history of the brutal suppression of a strike by Russian gold miners protesting low wages and inhumane working conditions in 1912.
Situated in the dense forest of south-east Siberia, the massive goldfields that lined the river Lena were, at the turn of the century, amongst the most profitable enterprises in the Russian Empire. The Lena Gold Mining Joint Stock Company (Lenzoloto), the principal owner of the majority of goldfields in the region, was running at profits of 7,000,000 roubles a year.
Morocco: Striking miners arrested at Jbel Awam
Miners at Jbel Awam in the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco were arrested after police invaded their camp on Tuesday morning.
Auxiliary forces and the royal gendarmerie arrived at 4am and used violence to disperse the men, women and children camped outside the mine. 29 workers were arrested and taken to the gendarmerie headquarters in Mrirt. Families and friends of those arrested have been gathered in front of the headquarters since Wednesday, demanding their release.
Sénégal: entire workforce fired for wildcat strike
Management at Mèches Darling have fired the entire workforce after a wildcat action.
Workers arrived at the factory gates this morning to find this notice:
"Management informs the entire staff, both permanent and contract staff that, following the ilegal strike action which paralysed the company, a collective dismissal has been decided upon. Dismissal letters have been passed to human resources."
